Conventionally, during the manufacture of electronic components, inspecting complex and tiny elements is generally performed by an operator manually inspecting the elements. Firstly, the operator picks up an electronic component by a clamp and places the electronic component on an inspection table in an inspection area of a vision inspection system. Then, the vision inspection system inspects all surfaces of the electronic component in the inspection area and determines whether the electronic component is a qualified product. If the electronic component is determined as a qualified product, the operator picks up the electronic component by the clamp and places it into a qualified product receiving container. If the electronic component is determined as an unqualified product, the operator picks up the electronic component by the clamp and places it into an unqualified product receiving container. In this way, the conventional inspection and classification of the electronic component is finished.
Conventionally, the production apparatus has a vision inspection function, that is, the production apparatus can achieve the inspection of the elements on line. These production apparatus can automatically feed the elements, automatically inspect the elements and automatically remove the elements from the inspection area. However, these production apparatus in the prior art are limited to inspecting only one or a few types of elements.
In addition, there are individual inspection apparatus for inspecting the elements in an off line manner. However, these individual inspection apparatus are specially used to inspect one kind or one type of element, and cannot inspect different kinds or types of elements. Furthermore, in this vision inspection system, feeding and removing of the elements are performed manually by the operator, decreasing inspection efficiency.
Further, in the vision inspection system, a distance between a camera and the element to be inspected cannot be freely adjusted according to the size of the element to be inspected. Thereby, the accuracy to inspect some extremely small electronic components is limited.